Diana Kennedy Cookbooks

[Joy]

I'm going to Mexico in a couple of months and I want to start doing some hardcore learning about the food. If you had to pick 2 Diana Kennedy cookbooks, what would they be?

[guajolote]

Not exactly what you were looking for, but Rick Bayless' first book, Authentic Mexican, is great. Don't bother with his other ones, they're the same recipes recycled.

Edit: Where in Mexico are you going?

Edited March 10, 2003 by guajolote (log)

[Joy]

I've got the Bayless book and I love it. I also have Zarela Martinez's book on Oaxaca.

I'm going to be in Villahermosa, Palenque, Oaxaca (maybe), Mexico City and Puebla (maybe). I've only got a week and a half.

[Vanessa]

Joy - I think there is a more recent edition of Diana Kennedy's (can't remember the name - could it be something like Essentials of Mexican Cooking?) which combines 2, if not 3 of her major books. That would be killing 2 birds with one stone. I can't be precise because I only have the original books.

I certainly think, for all her eccentricity, she is head and shoulders above any other author on Mexican food and culture and I'm sure she was a contributing factor in why I felt so comfortable when I got to Mexico in the end (albeit too briefly).

v

[Joy]

Joy - I think there is a more recent edition of Diana Kennedy's (can't remember the name - could it be something like Essentials of Mexican Cooking?) which combines 2, if not 3 of her major books.  That would be killing 2 birds with one stone.  I can't be precise because I only have the original books.

I certainly think, for all her eccentricity, she is head and shoulders above any other author on Mexican food and culture and I'm sure she was a contributing factor in why I felt so comfortable when I got to Mexico in the end (albeit too briefly).

v

Vanessa,

Great suggestion, and I see that Amazon has it on sale with her My Mexico book for $70 total.

Have you posted about your Mexico trip? Would love to hear about it.

[sladeums]

First and foremost The Essential Cuisines of Mexico - released in 2000 this single volume combines her first three books: The Cuisines of Mexico, The Tortilla Book, and Mexican Regional Cooking. Updated and revised w/ some new recipes this is a great collection and provides a nice basis for those seeking an introduction to her work. I hate the layout and design of the book, though.

Second, personally I would pick My Mexico: A Culinary Odyssey With More Than 300 Recipes. As much travelogue as cookbook I enjoy this quite a bit for all the stories/anecdotes. This has some very unique recipes I've not seen elsewhere and also does not dwell much on any of the basics, so is more suited for someone (to cook from at least) with at least some knowledge of the basic fundamentals of Mexican cuisine.

If not My Mexico, then I would go for The Art of Mexican Cooking.

On a side note, another excellent book that will provide you a solid repertoire of dishes is 1,000 Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore. Judging simply from the name I was expecting this to be more of a Better Homes and Garden type of thing, but found the quality (as well as the crazy stupid quantity) of the contents of this book excellent. Highly recommended.

[Vanessa]

Thank you Sladeums for the confirmation.

Joy - it was around 3 years ago I went, only for about 10 days, if that, based in Mexico City but with a couple of trips out for a day or two each time, including Oaxaca. Only enough to get the sense of a country that I would love to explore in more depth, a country with a marvellous sense of its own culture.

The trouble is that as I get older, I feel more that I am only interested in travelling to countries where I know people. Unfortunately there are few Mexicans in the UK, and I don't know any.

v

[Joy]

Ok, sold! It was actually $44 for both, not $70 (which was the non-sale price).

[chefsteban]

Without a doubt, the Art of Mexican cooking and My Mexico are the best of Ms. Kennedys works. They are two fine examples of the complex beauty of mexican cuisine. I would also highly recommend Nancy Zaslavsky's

A Cooks Guide to Mexico--rich in information and food lore. I do not recommend anything by Rick Bayless--he has only a basic idea of mexican food, but from a gringos eye-view, so lets just consider his writings as myopic.

If you do get to Palenque, there is an excellent restaurant just across the road from the parks entrance called

La Selva...they feature excellent examples of the regions cusine and they make a mighty fine

margarita.

[Jaymes]

I'd also suggest you check out Seasons of My Heart by Susana Trilling, who lives in Oaxaca and operates a cooking school there.

More personal than a traditional "cookbook," Seasons of My Heart explores the reasons why she loves Mexico, the land, the people, the culture, the food.

Also, if you are going to be in Oaxaca, perhaps you could take an afternoon class at her school.

[Joy]

If you do get to Palenque, there is an excellent restaurant just across the road from the parks entrance called

La Selva...they feature excellent examples of the regions cusine and they make a mighty fine

margarita.

Palenque is a definite and thanks for the food tip, exactly what I'm looking for. What is representative of that cuisine?

[Joy]

I'd also suggest you check out Seasons of My Heart by Susana Trilling, who lives in Oaxaca and operates a cooking school there.

More personal than a traditional "cookbook," Seasons of My Heart explores the reasons why she loves Mexico, the land, the people, the culture, the food. 

Also, if you are going to be in Oaxaca, perhaps you could take an afternoon class at her school.

Afternoon cooking class in Oaxaca? My god, my heart is palpitating. Have you gone? Do you have any other info?

[Jaymes]

I'd also suggest you check out Seasons of My Heart by Susana Trilling, who lives in Oaxaca and operates a cooking school there.

Also, if you are going to be in Oaxaca, perhaps you could take an afternoon class at her school.

Afternoon cooking class in Oaxaca? My god, my heart is palpitating. Have you gone? Do you have any other info?

Alas, I have not taken a class from Ms.Trilling in Oaxaca, but I have taken a class from her here in Austin. It was magical. And I don't use that word lightly.

Don't know how to post links, or I would. But you can access all the information you need at www.seasonsofmyheart.com. There is also a B&B at the school. I've spoken with people who have been there. There are even escorted trips to the Indian markets, nature walks, etc.

[guajolote]

I do not recommend anything by Rick Bayless--he has only a basic idea of mexican food, but from a gringos eye-view, so lets just consider his writings as myopic.

Could you further elaborate on this? I'm not his biggest fan (the employees at his resaturant are rude, he is a total cheeseball on his TV show etc.) but this book is the real deal. I learned to cook mainly from Mexican women, and his recipes in Authentic Mexican (for pozole, mole poblano, mole coloradito, crema de elote, etc.) are nearly identical to the ones I learned.

[Suzanne F]

It was announced tonight that Diana Kennedy is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Here, here!!!

I hope they considered her recipe for English muffins along with all her Mexican food!

[sandra]

Instead of of buying books on Mexican food by Anglo writers, why not choose a Mexican chef to learn Mexican food from? There are many, many books that have now been translated to English, Josefina Vazaquez de Leon, for example - Go to a good bookshop and you wil find so many, Sanborn's is one store, and depending where you go there is sometimes even a bilingual book store where you can browse...

The thing is, as in any culture, the food varies form region to region, household to household, so my advice is to search out "smaller" books so to speak, and start there -

As for Kennedy or Bayless....would you buy a book that claims to show you everything about French cookbook written by a Mexican?

[Vanessa]

Sandra - if the Mexican had lived in France and studied French culture as hard and long as Diana Kennedy, then the answer would be yes.

v

[Jaymes]

Instead of of buying books on Mexican food by Anglo writers...

Sandra, I understand your point.

However, I'm not sure that with this crowd, it's necessarily an "either/or" proposition.

I have two of Diana Kennedy's books, and I very much appreciate and value her "take" on things Mexicano. I believe that an English/American-oriented writer can help Anglo newcomers to a foreign cuisine get started in a manner that is less intimidating. And then, after getting their feet mojado, they can explore the food, culture, etc., more deeply if they choose.

As for me, in addition to books on Mexican cooking written by Anglos, I also have several written by Mexicans, including three or four in Spanish.

My advice when considering a new cuisine is to by all means explore it - through whichever avenues you feel most comfortable - but DO explore it.

[sandra]

I have her books also, I just never cook from them, or Bayless' - it just seems like they take 29 steps instead of one...

I find it weird that people (we) are always looking for the most authentic version (i.e. the "no real Mexican food in London" thread) and then go and cook from books that have been "researched"...

Just my opinion...

How about this, if anyone is in Mexico, do yourselves a favour and buy yourselves some local books (translated if need be) and have a little look...

Having said all of this, I do agree with exploring new cuisines in any way you feel comfortable...good point

[Jaymes]

Having said all of this, I do agree with exploring new cuisines in any way you feel comfortable...good point

And so, Amiga, we are simpatica after all.

[Joy]

How about this, if anyone is in Mexico, do yourselves a favour and buy yourselves some local books (translated if need be) and have a little look...

A great idea, which I will do.

[sandra]

And so, Amiga, we are simpatica after all. 

Claro que si! Siempre.....

[stellabella]

Joy--is your trip to Mexico food-based? If so, I understand Puebla is a good choice. I don't like to tell people what NOT to do on their trips, but I would suggest you minimize your time in Mexico City and maximize your time in other smaller cities. My favorite places in Mexico are:

Patzcuaro: a wonderful small colonial city with a cool climate and incredible artesanias shops. The local specialty is sopa de tarasco [tarascos are the indigenous group] with a tomato base, ancho chile and cream. If you go here stay at the Mansion Iturbe--it's pricey byMexican standards but worth it--my husband and I always skimp elsewhere ans splurge here. The dining room is gorgeous and in the mornings you get a beautiful traditional breakfast served in the local earthenware pottery, cafe o chocolate, pan tostada, marmelada de mango [locally made and for sale], chilaquiles, huevos al gusto, etc. We always spend a few days here walking [very slowly], eating, walking, eating, sleeping, walking, eating. if you are interested, you can get a local "ecological" tour to small communities surrounding lake patcuaro, visiting for example a small women's textile cooperative, eating locally produced cheeses and meats--inquire at the Iturbe.

Guananjuato: a plateau colonial city with a dry pleasant climate, incredible joie de vivre--you can sit on the zocalo every evening, drinking negro modelos, being serenaded by mariachis. and don't forget to visit the mummies.

Taxco: a small colonial city nestled in the Sierra Madres--a great place for tourists with a real hippie feel, and of course if you're into silver you gotta visit this town. I don't remeber much about the food except that there were lots of nice local cheap places to sit on balconies or sidewalks and eat tasty breakfasts of granola and fruit, or almuerzos of enchiladadas and aguacates.

If you are interested in artensanias, particularly Huichol masks, etc., [as we are] the small villages around Guadalajara [which I call Guadalahell-hole--it's the most goddamn hot and dusty place I've ever been in my life] like Tlaquepaque, are wonderful--in fact maybe better to stay in the smaller village and avoid the city center.

I haven't been, but high on my list is the city of Tequila, for obvious reasons.

Joy, I am going to Spanish school for the first two weeks of June in Oaxaca. I don't know yet where we are staying. My husband and I are both very seriously interested in one of Trilling's cooking classes. After the two-week program finishes we are heading south, maybe to the coast and then to Chiapas. New territory for me, but my husband has been to Oaxaca and LOVED it--which is why we're doing school there. I've searched on the web a bit and apparantly Oaxaca has incredible local chocolate and mole production--both to buy and eat--and of course, to watch in the process.

Have fun. Let's compare notes.

[maggiethecat]

and then to Chiapas.

Stella, I'm sipping my morning coffee on a grey day in Illinois, savoring your post. Thank you...felt as if I were there.

And then I read this. Er, be careful. Please.

[Joy]

Joy--is your trip to Mexico food-based?  If so, I understand Puebla is a good choice.

Oh my trip is most definitely food-based. My friend is not as food obsessed as I am so we're going to mix it up a little and visit ruins in between eating eating eating.

I'm still in the planning stages of the trip but this much I know: I'm flying into Villahermosa and flying out of Mexico City.

Yes, I am also interested in silver jewlery, local crafts, etc.

I hear that Trillings classes and tours are absolutely once in a lifetime type experiences. She apparently makes her own chocolate, which can be purchased exclusively in the US at:

http://www.zingermans.com/Index.pasp

One of the classes described to me was one just on different moles. They take you to the local market to buy ingredients and then back to the school to make it. If I'm not able to fit it in this trip, I'm already considering a trip entirely devoted to Seasons of My Heart.